Q: If I am served a drink in a licensed area such as event lawn north of Bowling Green can I take the drink with me to the Clubhouse?
A: No. You cannot traverse from a licensed area to another licensed area if it means you have to traverse a public area.
Q: Can I take a drink from the Clubhouse to the Front Lawn?
A: Yes. The Clubhouse licensed area and the front lawn licensed area are not separated by any public area and so you can move from the Clubhouse to the Front Lawn and vice versa.
Q: In the private areas of the Club how close do I have to be to my boat to consume my personal alcohol and conform to the law that says I can drink in the immediate or adjacent area to my boat?
A: The legislation does not define “immediate” or “adjacent.” It should be fairly close to your boat. You are not permitted to walk beyond the immediate area of your boat with open alcohol.
Q: In the private areas of the club in the immediate or adjacent area to my boat, how many guests can I have drinking with me?
A: The legislation does not set this out. However, keep in mind that if your vessel can only accommodate a certain number of people, exceeding that number ashore and drinking can be risky for you.
Q: What if my boat doesn’t have a sanitary facility but has sleeping accommodation?
A: The boat has to have sleeping accommodation and cooking facility and sanitary facility and be at anchor or docked. All four elements must be present for the drinking to be legal.
Q: If there is an event going on in the private area of the Island Club and an SOP is in place, can I still drink on my boat or on the dock or land next to my boat?
A: No, once an SOP is in place, the private areas of the Club become “public” and no drinking is allowed in the public areas. You can drink on your boat if it meets the requirements of having sleeping accommodation and cooking and sanitary facility. You cannot drink on the adjacent dock or shore.
Q: Why are Special Occasion Permits (SOP) no longer a good option?
A: Every time a Member or Fleet applies for an SOP the following authorities must be notified in advance (30 days recommended)
- Toronto Police
- Toronto Fire
- The Toronto City Clerk’s Office and
- Toronto Public Health
The notifications need to reflect date and time of event, how many people will be attending, where the event is (inside or outdoors, if outdoors that it will be roped-off, description of location, map or link to map) That we have applied for and/or have received a SOP for the event and will operate in accordance with it.
In 2016, the volume of SOP applications was questioned by the Fire Marshalls and our Liquor License Inspector.